Selecting mechanism for perforating and similar machines.



' PATENTED DEC. 4

P.'J. MEAHL. SELECTING MEGHANISM FOR PERFORATING AND SIMILAR MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAYIO, 1906.

PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP JACOB MEAHL, OF BAYONNE, NEWV JERSEY.

SELECTING MECHANISM FOR PERFORATING AND SIMILAR MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 10. 1906. Serial No. 316.088.

Patented Dec. 4,1906.

To all whom it i may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP JACOB MEAHL, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bayonne, county ofHudson, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Selecting Mechanism for Perforating and SimilarMachines, which the followin is a specification.

My invention re ates to improvements in primary selectors forperforatlng'and similar; machines, in which a perforated master-sheet isused and which perforations corres ndmg to those in the master-sheet arepro need in other sheets.

It will be obvious that my device may be.

used wherever a perforated master-sheet is employed without re ard tothe operation performed by the mac e, whetherperforatn? imprintmg, orany other operation.

' urt er ObJGCtS of the invention will apand be pointed out in theclaims. a

I have shown the machine as constructed and organized for perforatingmusic -,sheets, thereby reproducing for use on a pianola or similarmechanical musical instrument the perforations in the master-sheet. Informer machines it has been considered necessary to and fiftyrevolutions use a master-sheet of, considerable thickness, up tothree-sixteenths of an inch or more, and as theperforations in thesheetsthemselves are very much larger than those produced in the sheet whichis tobe used to control the musical instrument the master-sheets are ofgreat len th up to three hundredfeet or- Vheii made of, thick material,as

more. heretofore, their bulk is very great, so that to store a largenumber of them requires a prohibitive amount of space, it beingremembered that these master-sheets are of reat value and'must becarefully preserved from My invention contem lates the use of a thinsheet of paper whic can be repeatedly used without injuryyowing tothepeculiar mechanism employed in my primary selectors.

Another advantage of my machine as here presented is that it is capa leof high speed, such machines being now in ractical operation and runningat a speed 0 seven hundre er minute, This is several times faster t anany former mafire or other injury.

- chinewith which I am acquainted, and the capacity of the machineaudits economy of operation are increased in like ratio.

'gitudinal section so much of a perforatingmachine as is-necessary toexhibit'my invention. Fig. 2 is a partial right end view of the machine.Fi 3 is a bottom lan view of the right end of t e machine. Fig. 4 is anenlarged section through the plane 4 4, Fig. 2.

the drawings, 10 designates the frame of the machine, in which issupported a die 11, over which is simultaneously fed ste b step aplurality of sheets of paper 12, in w flicli perforations are to bemade. Supported above the die 11, and referably forming a part thereof,is the gui e 13, having vertical apertures 14, in which are su portedpunches 15. It is of course understoo that these punches and theselecting mechanisms connected therewith correspond-in number to thenotes of the musical scale to be perforated upon the sheets 12. Inordinary music sixty-five 'of thesegmnches and coacting parts are em- 0e v p lidounted in the frame 10 is a shaft 16, provided with means (notshown) by which it is continuously rotated. On the shaft 16 is mounted aplurality of cams 17, each connec'ted by a link 18 to a lever 19, whichis ivoted at 20 to a stationary part of the ame 10. Pivotallyconnected-t0 each leeach hammer 21 extends forwardly a rod 22,

provided at its lower. end with a tension spring 25. Forwardly u per endof each lever 23 is a short rod 26, tlIe function of which will a pear.

Mounted at the forwar chine is a cross-bar 27, referably carrying on itsupper face a meta plate 28. Passing through the bar 27 and at each endthereof are rods 29, the upper ends of which are firmly secured into abar 30. On the lower ends of the rods 29 are mounted in the presentinstance wing-nuts 31, between which and the lower side of the bar 27are placed in a vertica direction through the bar 27, audit is evidentthat the effect of the springs 32 will be todraw the bar 30 downward todward the-bar 27; I

Runni transversely of the machine and immediate ybeh'ind'the-bar127 is ashaft 33, provided at onepnd with a bevel-gear 34, meshi acontinuously-mofi ing' shaft on. the ma- In the drawings, Figure 1represents in lonconnected to a lever 23, pivoted .at 24 and extendingfrom the end of the ma- .ver 19 is a hammer 21 movable into and out ofvertical register with a punch 15. From thrust-sprin s 32. The rods 29move freely with-asiniilar gear 35, connected to continuous rotation.

chine, whereby the shaft 33 is also kept in l The shaft 33 is formedwith a continuous longitudinal extension;

331, constituting a cam for a purpose which i will hereinafter appear.Secured to'the bar 27 are two brackets 36, on which are pivoted levers37, the rear ends 38 of which are upwardly turned and provided withsegmental apertures 39, the upper faces 40 of which are in this casehorizontal. fit-bin the apertures 39 are mount ed cams 41, adapted whenin cont act with the arc-shaped portion of the apertures 39 to depressthe levers 37 and to raise the levers when the cams come in contact withthehorizontal surface 40 of, the apertures 39.

The levers 37 are shown as provided with inwardly-turned ends 42,projecting beneath the. bar 27, through which pass upwardlyfreely-sliding rods 43, which engage with the underside of'the' upperbar 30. The bar 27 is provided, as shown in F ig. 3, with a series ofslots 44, corresponding in numberto the punches Each ofthese slotsserves as a guide fora primary selector 45, shown as a lever, pivoted at46 and having an upwardlyextending finger 47, which passes -through Isuitable apertures or slots in the plate 28;

The upper bar 30 is provided with a suitable longitudinal groove or withsuitable apertures 48, which receive the fingers-47. At the rear end ofthe lever'45 is a dog 49, adapted when the lever is in its non-operativeposition toabutagain'st the end of the rod 26 on the lever23. A spring50, attached to each of the primary selectors 45,

normally serves to depress its rear end, and

consequently to elevate its finger 4'7.

Mounted in suitable guides 51 just above the heads of the-punches 15 isa cross-bar 52.

connected by links 53 and 54 to a rock-shaft 55, which may be actuatedin any desired .manner to reciprocate the bar 52.

In the 1portion of an eccentricpresent instance a nch m practicemay berod 56 is shown, w

- connected to a suitable eccentric on the shaft 57 in a well-knownmanner.v

step The perforations in the master-s eet (Not shown.) As a means formoving a master-sheet '57- over the upper surface of the plate 28" andbelow the bar 30 I have shown a roll 58:, mounted on a shaft 59 andprovided with teeth 60, which engage with suitable;.eictra' -si deperforations in the sheet The operation ofcthe machine is as follows:The plurality of sheets to be perforated,

(marked 12,) of which there may be fifteen or more-innumber, having beenpassed above thefdie-ll and below the guide-bar 13 and the master-sheet57 having been 6 0 placed in osition with its-forward end pass- I inover t 6 plate 28, the machine is started,

it eing understood that provision is made for feeding forward theplurality of sheets 12 andthe master-sheet 57 in unison ste by areusually very much larger than thoseto-be produced in the sheets 12, sothat the speed of the master-sheet is of course greater than that of thesheets to be perforated. It'is also understood that the 'master-sheet isfirst provided with perforations corresponding in number, position, andlength to the noteperforations to be roduced in the sheets 12. hen oneof t iese perforations in the sheet 57 is brought to the properposition, the finger 47 on the roper lever 45 passes upwardtherethroughhy reason of the action of the tension-spring 50. Thispermits the depression of the rear end of the lever 45, so [hit the dog49 slips below the end of the rod 26. drawn forward by the spring 25, soas to bring the corresponding hammer 21 immediately over the properpunch 15. The hammers 21 being incontinuous vertical reciprocation, thepunch 15 will perforate the sheets 12. The rotation of the shaft 33 willnow act to raise the rear end of such of the levers 45 as have beenengaged with the master-sheet, so as to release the fingers 47 from theperforations in theshe'et; At the same time the bar 52 is reciprocatedrearwardly to force backward such of the ham mers 21 as have beenengaged with the punches 15. This. permits the dogs 49 to again reengsgewith the forward ends of the shafts 26. .The mzis'tensheet 57 and thesheets 12 are then fed forward another step, when the perforatingoperations are repeated.

It is of course understood that if any se-- The lever 23 is tlIGIL riesof the perforations in the sheet 57 is continuous the same finger 47Will continue .-to

rise thereinto, so that two or any number of consecutive perforationswill be made in the sheets 12. The steps forward by which the sheets 12are fed are so small that these repeated perforations will formacontinuous line.

It will also be seen that by roperly tim ing the action of the cam 41 t1e upper bar 30- is held down on the master-sheet 57, so so as to holdit in close contact with the lower bar 27 except during the operation offeeding forward the sheet, when the cam will engage with the horizontalsurface 40 of the aperture 39 to move the levers 47 and rods 43, wherebythe upper bar 30 will be momentarily raised.

As already explained, the actuations ofthe moving parts are possible inmy machine at the rate of seven hundredto seven hun dred and fiftyrevolutions per minute.

What I claim is 1. In a machine of the class described, means forintermittently feeding forward a perforated master-sheet, a part overwhich said master-sheet is fed, a clamping-bar for holding saidmaster-sheet upon said part, means for-releasing said bar timed forcoopmeans for intermittently feeding forward a perforated ,master-sheet,a part over which said master-sheet is fed, a recessed clamping bar forholding said master-sheet upon said part, means for releasing said bartuned for cooperation .with the movement of said feeding means, me ansfor perforating a sheet, and

primary selectors for controlling said per-r forating means, saidselectors having fingers adapted to pass through the perforations insaid master-sheet and into the recess in said clam ing-bar,substantially for the purposes.

speci ed.

In a machine of .the class described, means. for intermittently feedingforward a perforated master-sheet, a plurality of primary selectors forengaging the perforations,

in said mast er-sheet, a stationary perforatingdie, a plurality ofpunches, a plurality of continuousl -re'ciprocated hammers for actuatingsai punches, an actuating-selector for each of said hammers for movingit into operative relation to one of said punches,

each of said actuating-selectors being controlled by one of said primaryselectors, and intermittently-actuated means for moving all of saidhammers out of such operative relation, substantially for'the purposesspecified.

4. In a machineof the class described, means for intermittently feedingforward a perforated master-sheet, a plurality of primary selectors forengaging the perforations in said master-sheet, a stationaryperforating-die, a plurality of punches, a plurality of continuousl-rec1procated hammers for ac tuating sa1 unches, an actuating-selectorfor each of said hammers for moving-it into operative relation. to 'oneof said punches, intermittently-actuated means for moving all of saidhammers out of such operative,

relation, and intermittently-actuated means for retracting all of saidprimary selectors,

both said last-named intermittently-actu.

ated means being timed to operate simultaneously, substantially for thepurposes specified,

5. In a machine of the class described,

means for intermittently feeding forward a perforated master-sheet, apart, over which said master-sheet is fed, a clamping-bar for holdingsaid master-sheet upon said part,

means for releasing said bar, a lurality of primary'selectors forengaging t e perforations in said master-sheet, a stationaryperforating-die, a plurality of punches, a plurality ofcontinuously-reciprocated hammers for actuating said punches, anactuatingse- 'lector for each of said hammers formovmg it; intooperative relation to one of said punches, intermittently-actuated meansfor moving all of said-hammers out of operative relation,- andintermittently-actuated means for retracting all of said primaryselectors,

both said last-named intermittently-actu ated means being timed tooperate snnultaneously, substantially for the purposes In testimonywhereof I have signed this specification in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

PHILIP JACOB MEAHL,

Witnesses i GEO. L. COOPER, OLIN A. Fos'rER.

